 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Maruja
Date: 2009-10-14 14:44
My clarinet teacher tells me that I should be able to get all notes, however high, with the same embouchure - despite his having been told by Pamela Weston herself to put more mouthpiece in for higher notes. Any thoughts? comments?
Maruja
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Author: JamesOrlandoGarcia
Date: 2009-10-14 15:46
More than likely you should probably be taking in more mouthpiece in general and yes your embouchure should be consistent up and down the registers of the clarinet. You might have to adjust slight for high G and above but not much.
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Author: TianL
Date: 2009-10-14 15:50
For the higher notes, you should keep the same embouchure, but what you can do is 1, change your tongue position to adjust the shape of the oval cavity and the air stream, and 2, use your right hand thumb to push the clarinet up; the clarinet does not really go into your mouth more (I believe this is what Pamela Weston is talking about though), but this upward force will create more pressure on the reed. This kind of pressure, according to many, is much better than another way of creating the pressure, aka biting - or embouchure change.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-10-14 16:00
I agree, to a point, if you're using the correct reed strength you should be able to play a scale from low E to at least high A, perhaps even to high C, without changing your embouchure noticeably. There are times though that you may have to take a bit more MP in your mouth to play the extreme notes, B and C depending on the passage. Starting the high notes are not always the same as going to them in a scale type passage. The tongue position is also very important as is how much pressure you use on the reed but if your reed is too soft for you, that partly depends on the mouthpiece you use, the high notes still won't come out. It's not always a simple open and shut case for everyone. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: winthropguy
Date: 2009-10-14 17:32
I'm a returning player and am having similar problems. I can slur all the way up to the G, but do notice a shift in my embouchure in the process (I drop my jaw and feel like I have to 'bite' to get the E, F, and G out). I can not start on anything higher than a high D without seriously making changes. I've been playing on Vandoren 3 and have little resistance on them, but ordered some stronger reeds to see if that helps (I played on Zonda 4 when I stopped about 11 years ago). If that doesn't help, I'm going to assume that I'm having more problems getting my embouchure back into shape than I thought and keep working on it with my teacher. It is frustrating, though, because some of the scale exercises he has me working on involve the altissimo notes and I'll get right to them and hear a not-so-lovely honk.
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Author: Maruja
Date: 2009-10-14 17:33
Many thanks for those comments - I shall start experimenting with tongue position and thumb - I am unlikely to be going to high G any time soon!
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2009-10-15 04:01
It takes a while, but two things help.
Support your air stream with belly, and
Put a scrap of mirror on your stand or stand in front of a mirror while you warm-up (a few minutes) and don't let that reflection do any "chewing."
If, going up a scale, the clarinet "stalls," try hardening your belly. If that fails, start over with more mouthpiece and the horn a bit further from your body.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2009-10-15 18:06
I would focus on the right thumb pressure. Recently I have been making very open clarinet mouthpieces and using very soft reeds....#2 or even 1 1/2 Ricos. In conjunction with this I shortened the mouthpiece by 3mm to bring up the overall pitch. Everything is fine....it plays freely with a large sound(who would have guessed) but I must pull up a bit for high F, F#, G etc. It only needs a little help and this provides it . The thumb will move the reed into the mouth only minutely...no big adjustment here.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: gigaday
Date: 2009-10-16 08:07
I find this "one embouchure fits all" concept a bit confusing having seen recommendations for practicing scales with just the mpc and barrel by regulating the embouchure as well as exercises to practice changing register without the register key.
Having said which I find that any substantial change like repositioning the mpc in the mouth impractical. But I seem to be making subtle changes continuously to get the right sound and intonation for each note - something that I have seen recommended for keeping good intonation too. These subtle changes are to do with slight variations of pressure of breath and lip, oral cavity, thumb pressure maybe and how I think about a note.
Maybe once you know what you are doing you can't actually describe it and actually I am only a relative beginner myself.
Tony
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Author: Maruja
Date: 2009-10-16 12:00
Yes, it is all rather subtle and obviously a number of factors come into play (no pun intended), including finding the 'sweet spot' on the mp where you can get both the low notes and the high with the same embouchure - I find if I put the mp in too far not only do I feel (and sound) strangled but also get squeaks on the low notes, although the high ones sound reasonably. Oh well, more experimentation, I guess...
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Author: gigaday
Date: 2009-10-17 13:31
Maruja, as you mentioned in a previous post, we seem to be at a similar stage of age and learning. I would like to exchange a few ideas with you by email, it might be a bit involved and boring to others on the BB.
Tony gigaday@googlemail.com
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Author: Maruja
Date: 2009-10-17 14:21
Yes, certainly - that would be fun and no doubt instructive! Can you see my email or should I post it to you separately?
Maruja
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Author: gigaday
Date: 2009-10-17 14:48
I can't see your email but mine is gigaday@googlemail.com
Tony
Post Edited (2009-10-17 14:49)
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Author: Maruja
Date: 2009-10-17 15:02
ok - mine is sandra.truscott@gmail.com - currently in Manchester UK but soon to move down south somewhere...
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